Chi
by freeze1
Summary: A horrible earthquake hits Nerima, leaving the town a mound of shrapnel in which Akane is buiried, her memory fading while Ranma searches desperately to find her before it is too late. [RanmaAkane]
1. The Beginning

A/N: Here we go. The start to my newest fanfiction, "Chi". Just so everyone knows, "Chi" means blood. VERY IMPORTANT: Everyone, PLEASE tell me if you want me to continue this story on a regular basis. Review review review. Thank you SO much. 

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is property of Rumiko Takahashi. 

This is dedicated to all the victims of September 11th. 

**

Chi  
Chapter 1  
The Beginning

**

Cold. A bitter, numbing cold. She could feel it engulf her body, shutting it down bit by bit. Sight was lost, yet everything seemed to be bright, and while she knew her hearing had failed she could hear an internal, mournful tune playing within her ears… 

Movement of any sort was hopeless. It was as if her body was refusing to listen to her commands, and was just lying there in the middle of nothing with no sense of touch, time or place. Not that she was giving any commands, her mind seemed to be wracked of rational thought. 

Yet she could sense one thing…that something terrible had occurred. The sensation seemed to creep up her body, taunting her. For the coldness was fading… 

And then came the pain… 

~~~~ 

Black. Everything had seemed to come to this, a large black whirl. The only sound that echoed in his ears was a slow "beep", which seemed to volley around inside his head. And soon it was though the blackness was fading, crumbling away… 

And the noises seemed to grow louder, and now the "beep" was accompanied by some loud and demanding voices. He could feel something start to tingle on his numb body, then realized it was his chest. 

Pictures started to come into place, however hazy they were. He could make out red lights, blood red lights that were flashing insanely over his head and figures bustling around about him. The voices were getting louder and he could just pick out words such as "horrific", "blood" and "earthquake". 

The tingling in his chest had grown to a pain, a creeping and dull pain. He felt the pain grow a little then lessen a little each time he breathed in, and that was almost as reliving as knowing he was breathing at all. Colors were starting to come into play, the white aprons of the bustling people and the deep red of… 

Blood. 

And as if by instant the numbness was gone and the pain struck him like a knife. He could feel himself moan as it recoiled inside of him, a stinging pain throughout his chest. The noises had grown to a din and his sight had seemed to sharpen, yet he clenched his eyes closed at the immense pain. 

"He's waking up," a woman's voice whispered. She sounded worried and slightly scared and after she spoke he could feel a wet washcloth placed on his forehead. 

"I was getting worried," a man answered. "He was out for quite some time." 

"Should I get the anesthetic?" The woman asked softly, her voice seeming to be hesitant. 

"I'll go get it, you stay with him," he answered casually. "Don't worry, I'll be back." The boy laid there in thought, then forcefully opened his eyes. Two large green ones met his as a girls face came into focus, her short blue hair up in pig-tails. 

"Hello," she said quietly. He groaned, reaching a hand up slowly and placing it on his chest. Instantly he winced form the shocks of pain that were sent searing through his body. 

"Oh, no!" The girl cried. She took his hand and forced it off his chest carefully. "Please don't do that, you're not quite better yet." He stopped for a moment. 

"Where…" he asked weakly, "Am I?" The girl smiled at him sympathetically. 

"You're in Nerima's hospital camp #3," she answered, trying to sound pleasant. He sighed softly, yet in his mind he was cursing. 

"What's…happened?" He asked, his voice struggling. The girl seemed to be fiddling with something on his chest, and he felt more pain wrack through him. 

"Gomen nasai," she whispered, "But I've got to change your bandage. What happened you ask? There was an earthquake…" He felt something being torn from his skin, a breeze washing over the exposed flesh. 

He remembered. There had been screaming, lots of it. And lights had flashed insanely while dogs barked and children cried hysterically. Everyone had tried to evacuate to higher grounds. 

"Was it…bad?" He asked quietly. The girl, still working on his bandage, nodded. 

"One of the worst ones we've seen," she said quietly. "It destroyed nearly all of Nerima, and some surrounding cities. You're lucky to be found alive!" 

They had all tried to get out with the rest of them. They'd made their way as fast as possible to some sort of shelter, but it had been useless. And he could feel his gut telling him that something terrible had happened on the way… 

"Did they…find anyone near me?" He asked. The girl shook her head slowly. 

"Gomen nasai," she said sadly. "If they had, they would most likely be in this area with you. Many people are blown away from each other during earthquakes. You're just going to have to wait until you get better, then you can try to find out." And suddenly he gasped as an image crossed his mind. 

A girl was standing there, her eyes wide and scared and her blue-black hair blowing in the wind. Her green school uniform was torn and there was a cut on her cheek from which a trickle of blood was running. The sky was red and behind her was a huge crevice, a giant, black hole in the earth. 

She stretched out her battered hand, her eyes flashing with fear. And everything seemed to be rumbling, and he knew that she was falling… 

_Ranma! H-Help me!_

_AKANE!!!_

He had reached for her, but never managed to grasp her. And it was then that his world had gone black. He felt his breath go ragged at the memory and closed his eyes, his fists clenching. 

"Kami-sama!" The girl exclaimed frantically. "The bleeding! It's nearly stopped!" Her voice seemed to echo in his mind, as though she was speaking to him from far away. All he could see was her fragile body falling backwards and all he could hear was her mournful cry… 

"You're right!" It was the man's voice, obviously he had come back. "His wound is healing abnormally fast…He seems to really want to live." 

"Living I don't care about," he breathed out huskily, his eyes shooting open. "But I must find Akane." 

~~~~ 

She glanced around frantically, looking past the many confused and frightened looking people. The noise was deafening as she stood up on her tiptoes, looking for someone familiar. For anyone familiar. 

"Excuse me miss?" A woman asked. She whirled around, staring at the young nurse. She seemed surprised, but brushed a strand of red hair out of her face and ruffled down her short nurse skirt. 

"Um…" she said uncomfortably, "Are you looking for someone? We really need to clear this place out, there are too many people here to function the hospital properly..." The girl looked the nurse in the eye, her brown eyes piercing. 

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am looking for someone," she said curtly. "And I'm sure that I will find them here, so I'm not going to leave until I've searched this area up and down." The nurse looked a little bewildered. 

"Gomen nasai, It's just that…" The brown haired girl nodded. 

"I know, I know," she exclaimed. "You want everyone out of here as soon as possible. I promise once I find who I'm looking for I'll leave right away." The nurse nodded, then walked off quickly. The girl turned back, looking around for something familiar. 

"We need backup over here!" 

"He's rebelling, come on, someone get over here and hold him down!" The voices were coming from across the hall, but they seemed to catch the girl's attention. She began to move her way over, pushing past people to get to her destination. 

"Excuse me?" She asked a doctor who was rushing by her. "What exactly is the problem here?" He kept walking, forcing her to walk quickly along with him. 

"A patient is rebelling, and could hurt himself," the doctor said simply. 

"Who?" She asked innocently, whizzing past a woman with a huge wound in her arm. 

"I don't know," he answered, a little impatient. "A boy. Around your age, I'd expect. One large pig-tail…" The girl nodded grimly. 

"I know him," she answered. "I'm coming." She studied his face, then smiled a bit. He had looked hesitant at first, but caught the tone in her voice stating simply 'don't mess with me' and backed off. The door flung open and a boy was lying on a huge white table, struggling against large black bindings. A huge wound was on his chest, and blood stains were visible through the huge bandage. 

"Ranma!" She exclaimed, rushing over to him. He seemed to stop struggling for a moment, looking at her. A flash of recognition passed across his face. 

"N-Nabiki!" He smiled slightly and she smiled back, glad to see that he was alive if not well. A doctor in a large white jacket walked over, a puzzled look on his face. 

"Um…miss…do you know this man?" He asked. She nodded. 

"But of course, he's practically family," she said slyly, eyeing the pigtailed-boy. Instead of yelling at her, he turned his head down, and she felt a lump in his throat. Something had happened… 

"He's dangerous ma'am," another doctor explained. She laughed. 

"Dangerous?" She exclaimed. "Not as dangerous as I'll be if you don't let him go. Why, he's as harmless as a kitten!" The boy shot her a glare which she returned as the doctors bent down to untie the straps holding him to the bed. The boy shot up, then cringed, a hand shooting to his chest. 

"Ranma!" She exclaimed, grabbing hold of him. "I was glad I found someone alive, now please don't go and kill yourself!" She meant it in a sarcastic way, but he just looked down again, his eyes sad. 

"Did you find anyone else?" He asked cautiously. She shook her head slowly. 

"I would have suspected that they would have been near us," she explained. "But I have no idea anymore. These people are lucky to find someone with ID on them." He nodded, allowing her to support him as he stood up. 

"Get me some regular clothes, Nabiki," he instructed, his voice hoarse. "I need to go…" She looked at him curiously, then glared at the doctors who were still hanging around. They looked at each other, then left silently. 

"It's…Akane…" He whispered. She swallowed hard, her face sollemn and knowing. 

"What happened?" She asked quietly. 

"We were out walking when the earthquake struck," he explianed sadly. "She practically got blown away. I…don't know where she is." The girl's expression didn't change. She just nodded. 

"I've checked with the hospital," she told him. "They haven't found anyone by the name of Akane Tendo, nor Kasumi or Soun for that matter. We're just going to have to check with some of the other hospitals." He cringed. 

"Let's go now," he said, attempting to stand but barely making it. She sighed, helping him to stand stabile. 

"In your condition?" she asked, pointing to the large wound on his stomach. "You would never make it, Ranma. You know that." He grunted. 

"Do you think I care?" He asked accusingly. She laughed a bit. 

"You care more for her then you do for anyone else," she said truthfully. "You can't deny it. My little sister really has brought out the best in you. But come now, go to sleep Ranma. I'll check everywhere I can for the others, alright?" His eyelids fluttered as he shook his head. 

"Ranma, do you want me to use force?" She asked him sternly. He shook his head again. 

"I just want to…" The door suddenly was flung open and a woman appeared. Nabiki recognized her as the same nurse from before. She had two red pigtails that hung out of her little hat, and she looked more to be a waitress then a nurse. In her hand she held a large needle. 

"I'm sorry miss, but I need to give him this…" she said quickly. Nabiki nodded as the boy thrashed about. 

"Will it knock him out?" She asked. The nurse nodded. She looked to the boy pitifully. 

"It's for your own good," she said, then turned to the nurse. "Be my guest." The nurse came forward and then with some difficulty managed to stab the needle deep into the boys shoulder. He seemed to slump over, then hit the floor with a rendering crash. 

"Akane…" he managed to whisper before falling unconscious. The girl looked down, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. Her hand ran across the small bandage on her forehead, her only injury in the earthquake. She sighed. 

"Gomen nasai, Ranma." 

~~~~ 

Blurred shapes swum around endlessly as the noise rattled about him as though springing off the walls. He slowly attempted to open his eyes, yet forced himself to shut them. Something hurt. A lot. 

He slowly attempted to move his fingers, and realized with shock that he didn't have fingers. He crashed his head back onto the heard surface, his mind spinning. He could feel liquid seeping out from where his hands should have been, or at least hear the drops of water fall from the numb stumps. 

_This must have happened in…the blast…_

He squinted his eyes, attempting to remember. He had been innocently searching about for the fastest way to the Tendo Dojo when…something had happened. The earth had errupted, shrapnel had flew everywhere… 

Cold. He remembered that much. It had been so cold. As though something was flowing about him. 

He lay there, his breathing heavy and cursing in his mind. His hands were no longer, his vision and hearing were impared, and he could not move. He sighed, leaning his head back. 

_I…Ryoga Hibiki…am truly going to die…_

"What's this? A pig?" He felt his ears prick up as a figure bent over him, the voice becoming louder. 

"Kawaii! The poor thing, it must have been blown away!" He lay there, not believeing his ears. Had she said…PIG??? 

His eyes flew open, and the two figures quickly came into focus. They were two female nurses looking extremely tired bending over him, and he could feel their sweat drip onto his forehead. He looked up and down his body, then began to squeal happily at the sight of the perfectly intact little black pig. 

"What's it…doing?" 

"Dancing? Wow, I've never seen a pig that can dance! Cool! Anyone got a camera?" 

"Kami-sama, it's filthy! Let's at least wash it off or something." 

With a spray of warm water, he suddenly heard a noise, a happy loud and thunderous noise. His voice. He lept about, not really caring whether he had actually broken anything. 

"I'M ALIVE! I'M ALIVE! WHAHOOOOOO!!! I'M ALIVE!!!" He stopped then, turning to the two doctors and showing off a fanged smile. They were both staring at him dumbfoundedly, their cheeks red and their mouths hanging open. 

"Sir…" 

"You're…naked…" 

"ACK!!!" He leapt behind a large cabinet, feeling himself turn red down to his toes. A white hospital gown was thrown in after him, and he hastily put it on. 

"Sir…can we…um…help you?" 

"Gomen Nasai," he exclaimed, stepping back out timidly. The two nurses looked a little confused, yet smiled and tried to look happy. 

"It's alright," one of them exclaimed. "We had the same problem with a panda the other day." He froze. A Panda…that meant… 

"In this hospital?" He asked quickly. The two nurses nodded. Which meant that… 

"I'm in Nerima!" One of the nurses smiled and nodded while the other slapped her hand to her forehead. 

"Yes, sir, you are," the smiling nurse explained. Then her face turned into a look of worry. "But sir, you might want to do something…about your arm…" He looked down, eyeing the tiny cut which had impacted his right arm. 

"Huh?" 

"We found this attached to your arm," the nurse explained, holding out a small object. "It must have flied off and hit you in the blast." He looked down, eyeing it carefully. And realized, with horror, what it was. 

A small white Spatula. 

"How far can a pig fly in an earthquake?" He asked shakily. 

"Oh, very far." 

"Do you know where Ucchan's Okonomiyaki is?" 

"Hn? Oh, yes, I eat there sometimes. It's nowhere near here, around the other area of town somewhere. Do you believe you flew from all the way over there?" The other nurse was checking her watch with exasperation. 

"Aiko, I really need to get going," She said urgently. "I'm on shift in the west wing, and there's this guy there who's really dangerous since he keeps thrashing about." His ears perked up again. 

"Thrashing about? Who is it?" 

"I'm not allowed to tell you that. Policy." The nurse shot him a slightly mean glare, which he returned. 

"Is his name Ranma Saotome?" The nurse looked at him in shock, then checked the paper on her clipboard again. She nodded grimly. 

"May I see him?" She nodded again, then turned to walk out the door. He followed close behind her. His mind was spinning, too much was happening, and too fast. And for one of the few times in his life, he was really and truly afraid. 

~~~~ 

The pain wracked through her body, sending chills up her spine. Instincts began to kick in, screaming at her to call for help. Yet she couldn't bring herself to move her mouth, no matter how hard she tried. 

_Someone…help…me…_

Something was blowing in her face, and she could feel one of her legs weighed under an imense amount of weight. Most likely the blood wasn't running to it at all. The light about her was bright, even though she had lost all sense of sight. And suddenly the light seemed to dim, and turn black… 

_Help…me…please…_

And the world for her turned black, with only the faint picture of a pigtail flickering amidst her eyelids. 

~~~~ 

Chi = Blood. 

PLEASE REVIEW!!! 


	2. Awakening

A/N: GOMEN NASAI!!! I feel like such an idiot. Here I am saying: "Oh, yeah, It'll be finished on a schedual" and I wait 2 months before getting this out! I tried my best at this, and I hope you like it, and I'm terribly sorry for the lateness of it all! 

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, not me. 

**Chi **

Chapter 2 

Awakening 

_Where…am I…?_

Noises were surrounding her, rushing through her ears like ribbons. Her mind was spinning, dizzy from the chaos. She could hear stomping of feet throughout the hallway, then wheels racing through the room. Many people were talking, and fast. 

_Something…happened…_

Someone was caughing, she could hear it. It was feeble and weak, yet it sounded so desperate. And so young. She breathed in deeply, hearing the swollen sound in her lungs. In the backround she could hear someone crying. 

_I wonder…who that is…_

Something was beeping loudly and quickly. More people were talking loudly, yet the words made no sense to her. She could feel a breeze which swept something damp into her face as someone ran past her, and then a huge break in the cough. 

_Is that a…child…_

And instantly the cough stopped as the beeping stilled, only letting out one loud tone. The noises dropped down, and the only noise was the clatter of something metal falling to the floor and the sobs of a woman. 

And she slowly opened her eyes, staring up at the tiled ceiling as they focused. She could feel some hair in her mouth, yet didn't bother to push it out. She slowly turned her head to the side. 

_He…that child…_

She quickly caught the figure of a boy lying on a white table. His eyes were closed and a large scar was imprinted on his forhead, his face pale and his black hair raggled. Then before she could blink a nurse had finished her job, covering the boy's head with a large white cloth. 

_Kami-sama…_

A woman turned around, her face pale and distraught. She walked briskly over to the bed where she was lying, a half smile on her face. 

"You're awake," she said smoothly. "That's good." She nodded, yet couldn't keep her eyes off of the bed next to her. The beeping stopped as a man pulled the plug from the little green box on the foot of the bed and all that was visible was his nose sticking up through the sheet. 

"Did you just wake up?" The woman asked, following her line of vision. She did nothing to answer. The feeling in her gut was too strong, and she could feel herself shaking. Apparantely, the woman could too. 

"I'm so sorry," she said soothingly. "You had to wake up to that. We've had so many deaths, I can barely keep track. It takes something away from you, it really does." Her eyes did not reach the woman's, but followed the two men who were wheeling the little bed away. 

And the feeling in her gut grew stronger as her body shook even more. A tear slowly ran down her cheek as the door slammed shut to the small room. The woman didn't notice, just kept looking about her. 

"I know you're upset," she said softly, "yet we must see whether you are injured so we can treat you. Please, just tell me if anything hurts, alright?" She sighed, then slowly began to move the ringers on her left arm. They cracked as she moved them, wiggling her toes slowly at the same time. Yet suddenly a pain wracked through her right arm, sending jolts of needles up the bone. 

"Ite…" She cursed, a spasm wracking her body. The woman looked down at the arm and winced. 

"It seems you may have broken your arm," she said as sweetly as possible. She was a young woman it seemed, with long brown hair and large red earings. Yet the way she talked made her sound like a child, with an unbearably sweet voice. 

"Here," she whispered, "We've run out of most of our supplies, but new ones are getting shipped in soon, I hope. Here's some bandage for your arm, and I'll put a sling on right away." The woman bent down and began to wrap some soft material around her arm. She winced as it touched her exposed flesh, and her arm shifted. There was a loud ripping noise as the woman tore off the rest of the already ruined ruby sleeve, letting even more mangled skin feel the warm breeze. She shivered. 

_All of this…was from one crack in the ground? One earthquake?_

She turned her head to the side, catching a glimpse of white hair on another bed. Her heart leapt as the figure moved a big, letting the white hair glimmer in the dim light of the room. 

_G-Grandmother?_

"GRAMY! GRAMMY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? COME ON, SPEAK TO ME!" A girl burst into the room, looking no older then 10 and rushed to the old woman's side. And despite the sadness of the scene, a breath of relief washed over her. It wasn't _her_ grandmother at least. But then the thought struck her…where _was_ her grandmother? 

"All done!" the woman exclaimed happily. She looked up, coming in contact with the two beaming brown eyes. 

"Ano…Ma'am…where I find…" It hurt her to speak, not just her mouth but her heart. She wanted so much to just go back to sleep, to forget that anything had happened. But something wasn't right… 

"The bathroom? I'm sorry, you're not in the right condition for that. If you want I could draw the shades and bring out a cup…" She shook her head as figerously as possible. 

"I need find someone," she whispered, feeling her purple hair whisk around in the breeze coming from the now open window. 

"I'm sorry dear," the woman said sorrowfully, "we have so many patients looking for others, we'll just have to put you on the waiting list, alright? If you me your name I can ring it up while you sleep. Would that be alright?" Her voice was so sickeningly sweet, echoing in her ears. But she was forced to reply. 

"Shan Puu." The woman began to talk again, but all of a sudden she couldn't hear it. Her eyes had caught something on the wall, and she was staring at it with fear. A man was wheeling a cart down the hallway, and on it was a pile of old rubble. Yet there was something on top, she could just barely see it as the light sparkled off the broken glass. 

"Matte!" She exclaimed, trying to hoist herself up. The woman looked startled as she gasped, pain rushing through her arm. 

"What is it?" 

"Stop cart!" 

"But…why do you need that?" 

"I see something belonging someone I know," she whispered frantically. The woman was looking anxious, trying to keep her pressed into the bed. 

"I…Well…Alright…" she sighed, then walked over to the man. They were talking quietly, yet her heart was still pumping wildly. _Kami-sama let nothing have happened…_

"Here." The woman had come back, and thrusted a letter in her face, a black pair of large broken spectacles attatched to it with a piece of tape. She recognized them immidiately. 

"Mousse." And on the letter was the scratchy word _Shampoo_. She tore it open, revealing a small sheet of paper inside. 

_Shampoo, I have limited space for I borrowed this pen from one of the doctors. I pray this note reaches you, and that you are alive. I may not make it in, I really don't know where I am right now, yet in the middle of a pile of ruble to say the least. Surgery coming soon, getting harder to write…Muu Tsu._

She clutched the paper, her mouth open in shock. _Surgery???_

"Take this, please." Her eyes were wide open, and her brain didn't seem to comprehend the words. She let the pill slip into her mouth, and felt the water wash it down. Without thinking she began to get off the bed. 

"Oh no, you're not ready for that yet," the woman exclaimed, pushing her back on. She thrashed, then felt even more pain sear down her arm. 

"But…he's…surgery…" her breathing was becoming ragged, and she could feel that something was wearing her down. The world was beginning to turn hazy. 

"I don't understand," she said quickly, "But I'm sure you'll be able to find…um…_him_ once you wake up." Her mind was spinning frantically as shapes began to turn blurry. 

"But…the others…can't…sleep…" 

"The pill I gave you is activating," the woman said with a smile. A false, horrid smile. "You'll wake up in a couple of hours, and I hope you feel rested by then." She then got up and began to walk away, but by now she was merely a blur. She had lost track of rational thought. 

"Spatula girl…Pig boy…Greatgrandmother…Ranma…" And suddenly all color was gone, and the feeling of pain had left her arm as the world turned black… 

"Mousse…" 

~~~~ 

The hallway was empty, the only sound was the echoing of her footsteps. She sighed, her ears still ringing from the noise of the crowded lobby. Yet this was the infirmary. This was a place for quiet, for peace. No one would bother her here. 

Her eyes grazed the door to her right, eyeing the small sign labled "Surgery". She turned away quickly, and began to head down the hall again. The thought made her want to throw up. 

Normally, she thought to herself, she would be calm. Most likely the most calm of anyone there. Sweet, calm and always smiling…it seemed to be what they counted on her to do. Yet there was no way she could smile now…and really mean it. 

"Kasumi-san?" She turned around to see a man in the hallway, his brown hair pulled back into a small ponytail and his eyes sad. She forced up as best a smile as possible, yet she knew he could see right through it. 

"Konnichiwa, Tofu-sensei," she replied quietly. He walked over to her until he was standing just infront of her, staring down at her with a quiet look. 

"Daijoubu, Kasumi-san?" He asked. She nodded, looking down at the ruffled nurses' uniform. 

"I'm not a nurse," she whispered, "But I'll do everything here that I can to help out. I just wish there was something more I could do…" He shook his head. 

"Kasumi-san, you're doing everything in your power to make this all better," he reassured her. "I'm helping by using my doctoring skills here to treat patients. You're helping with smaller jobs, such as cleaning minor wounds, bringing food to patients, standing behind the counter…don't think that your jobs are less important. Everything you or I do makes a difference here. Besides, you should thank the gods that all you came out with were some scratches." She nodded. 

"Arigatou, Tofu-sensei," she said, putting on a weak smile. "Well, I ought to be down to see if anyone needs help in the child center." She walked past him slowly, yet suddenly was stopped as something grasped her wrist. She turned around to see the doctor, his face determind. 

"Kasumi-san…you don't always have to be so happy…" She stood there, shocked as his words echoed in her ears. 

"I don't mean that happy is a bad thing," he explained. "Yet…don't lie to yourself. When you're feeling bad, there are other ways to show it rather then cover up with a smile. I just want what's best for you." She stared at him, then suddenly realized something. She wasn't staring at a foggy lens, but rather at two large, brown eyes. And at the sight of them, she felt tears start to trickle down her cheek as she pulled herself towards him, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Gomen nasai…" she whispered softly. She could feel him shake his head and put his hands on her shoulders, sending warmth through her body. 

"You're father is going to be okay," he assured her calmly. "I don't think anything could harm Tendo-san, not even a liver transplant. And I'm a doctor, I know." She smiled, then pulled back, brushing the tears away with her finger. 

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Tofu-sensei," she whispered, a full smile on her face. He looked down on her, a slight grin on his face as well and a slight tint to his glasses. 

"You're smiling again." 

"Because this time…I'm happy." 

~~~~ 

The world was black, a cold, damp and dreary black. The numbness was running steadily through her body as though it was poison. Rational thought was completely abandoned, and so her mind began to drift… 

~Flashback~ 

A little girl stood on the porch, looking out at the yard as the droplets of rain fell into the small koi pond. Everything was gray, more gray then usual probably from the fuzziness of the memory. 

She had blue-black hair that was practically plastered to her head as she had so little of it. Her pink coat was warm and furry, and only showed a little hem of the red dress she was wearing underneath it. Her small hands were clenched up at her sides and she shivered as a gust of wind spilled into the hallway. 

Voices were talking cheerfully in the other room, yet the child stood there still, staring bleakly at the rain. 

"Come inside…" The girl turned around to see a figure standing behind her. She was tall, with a large white apron and her face shrouded in gray as though it couldn't be remembered. 

"You'll catch cold out here…Don't worry, we'll go outside tomorrow, ne?" The girl looked up happily, a smile on her small face. 

"Hai! 

~End Flashback~ 

_That girl…who was she?_She thought as she laid in the world of blackness. _She was just a child…she couldn't have been…me…and if she was…who was that woman?_

~~~~ 

He stared up at the ceiling, letting out a long sigh. A sharp pain hit him whenever he breathed, seeming to tighten his chest like a rope. He had tried desperately to ignore it, but had quickly realized that it was no use. 

The door creaked open from behind him, and he could hear two sets of footsteps walk in, one straight to the bed. He could feel the figure's eyes staring down at him, and by the way her hand was resting on the bedpost he didn't need to look to see who she was. 

"Nabiki." She turned around, facing the other person. 

"I can take it from here, doctor." There was a slight hesitation, but whoever it was left the room, his clogged footsteps growing softer and softer as the door slammed behind him. 

"Nothing," she whispered after a pause. He felt the breath he had been holding come out hoarse and ragged. His fists clenched at his sides. 

"I've checked everywhere. No hospital thus far seems to have her registered. There may be more way over on the other edge of town that I haven't checked, yet it seems unlikely that she'd be there." 

"Chikuso…" 

"Ranma." He waited until she had walked over to the other side of the bed. She was wearing strangely mismatched clothing she had obviously gotten from the hospital pantry, a long pair of green pants and a bright orange shirt. Yet she had tied a bright pink headband in her hair, and being Nabiki had managed to make herself look just fine. Yet he could tell by her disheveled hair and tired eyes that she was feeling worse then she was letting on. 

"It's up to you. You're choice. You know I'll do anything. What do you want me to do next?" He sighed, feeling his chest ache as he exhaled again. 

"She isn't in a hospital," he stated simply. She rapped her fingers on the bedpost as she sat down near his feet. 

"There are still some I haven't checked, remember? I can still search, if you want me to. Kasumi-oneesan and Tofu-sensei have been looking since we found them, too." He shook his head. 

"If you haven't found her yet, she isn't in a hospital," he said firmly. He admitted it, the thought scared him. That she wasn't safe, like him, but still out there in the midst of piles and piles of rubble…alone… 

"Ranma, you know I'd do anything for Akane. She's my sister. But," she said slowly, meeting his eye, "what do you want us to do?" He took a deep breath and then explained his plan. 

"You will stay here. I know you want to be near your father. I also want you to be here when my pop arrives in three days from hospital 5. Me…I'm going out to find Akane." There was a long pause, but not a signification of shock. Nabiki was never shocked. She seemed to be thinking over everything carefully as she stared down at the ground. 

"Ranma," she said finally, "you're not in the condition to do this. I know that I cannot stop you, but perhaps you would like to consider the fact that going out in that rubble by yourself with those injuries is practically suicide. I don't think Akane would want you to kill yourself." 

"Well I will not just _sit_ here and watch her die!" He shot back. "Her life is in my hands, and my hands alone. Have a few injuries ever stopped me before?" She shook her head, dropping her arms in defeat. 

"I'll back you up on this," she said quietly, "but I will not allow you to leave without a compan-" Suddenly there was a clash as the door burst open. 

"RANMA!!!" A boy had stormed in, his breath heavy. He was wearing a long, white hospital gown and looked simply ridiculous with his large fangs and his matted hair. If it had been any other occaision, he would have nearly died laughing. 

"Perfect!" Nabiki exclaimed, cutting in before Ranma could say a word. "Ranma, Ryoga will be your companion." Ranma eyed the boy, who now looked very confused and sighed. 

"Fine," he said curtly. "If that's the deal, then so be it. We leave tomorrow morning before sunrise." Ryoga looked around, pointing to himself shyly. 

"Wait…me? Huh? What are we…" Nabiki filled him in quickly. 

"You want to find Akane, don't you? Well, _you_ will be traveling with Ranma to find her." Ranma sighed, feeling Ryoga's ki level rise immensely. 

"NANI?" He shouted. "YOU MEAN AKANE'S _MISSING_???" Ranma grunted, clenching his fists. 

"Shut the hell up, Ryoga," he spat. "I don't need your help. I can find Akane on my own. I didn't ask for you to come along. So if you're coming, let's get one thing clear: don't you _dare_ get in my way. Understood?" There was a long pause. He could tell that he had been harsh, but he didn't care. The pain of knowing that it had been him who had let go of Akane was like a knife to his heart. 

"H-Hai." 

"Then it's settled," Nabiki said in her false-cheerful way. "I'll take care of the baggage, sneaking you two out…" she kept talking, yet the words seemed to roll out of his ears. His mind was focused on only one thing… 

_Ranma! H-Help me! _

AKANE!!! 

He shook his head. _Akane…I'm coming…_

A/N: Well, that's it! Ideas are still forming for chapter 3, but the faster the reviews the faster the writing! So, onegai, R/R!!! 


	3. The Journey

A/N: Oh my god I am sooooo sorry that I haven't gotten this up sooner. It's my fault completely, and I can't appologize enough! *Bows on hands and knees*. The truth is, I really was lazy. Around the time I started writing this, I went to Japan, camp started, and everything got jumbled up. I feel so bad, since I've gotten all these letters and all from people who are mad at me for not putting this up sooner. ^^;;;. So now, I'm doing it! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, and I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter up soon. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2. Ranma-kun does not belong to me. It is very sad, really. But oh well. *Getting tired of saying this*. 

**Chi  
Chapter 3  
The Journey **

Dawn was creeping in, turning the seemingly endless waves of dirt and rubbish to a dreamy color. It was silent, no sound echoing throughout the barren place except for the occasional rustle of paper along the coarse ground. 

"Here, this is what I've been able to recover from the laundry," a girl's voice echoed into the corridor. "They thought I was crazy, asking for this much clothing." 

"We don't need that much," A boy said, his voice sounding raspy as though he hadn't gotten much sleep. 

"Yes, you do," she answered him. "I've seen you on your journey's before. Not only are you filthy and utterly distasteful, but when your little curses are activated you tend to lose your clothes quite quickly." He chuckled quietly, shaking his head. 

"I'm supposing that was meant to be a joke," he said, stuffing the pile of clothes down into his large backpack. His face was straight, his hair brushed out the best as possible and his eyes focused. 

"Joke, no," she said again. "It was perfectly reasonable. Both pigs and girls lose have the ability to lose their clothes within seconds." He glared at her and she smiled. Suddenly the door leading out from the building opened, causing them both to jump. A boy walked out, following by a girl in a nurse uniform and a man in a doctor uniform after her. 

"I've altered the schedules," the man said, wiping his hands against each other. "You are not to have any visitors or doctors enter your room for the next 8 hours due to extreme fatigue and the effect from the anesthetic." The pig-tailed boy smiled. 

"Thanks Doc," he said, nodding. The nurse beside him smiled. 

"I've packed what I hope will be enough of a meal, it should last for a few days if you use it sparingly." She handed over a small bundle wrapped in a pink and green handkerchief. He smiled again, taking it. 

"Arigatou, Kasumi." The other boy walked over, a backpack on his back with a large umbrella on top of it. 

"Get enough sleep Ranma?" He asked almost tauntingly. 

"Enough to make more time then you in one day," he shot back. 

"Oh yeah? And how much is that?" 

"Bout an hour…" The fanged boy's grin suddenly stopped as he let his shoulders drop. Ranma quickly turned back around to the rest of the group. 

"So, this is it," he said quickly. "If anyone remembers anything we forgot, this is your last chance to tell us. No jokes." They all smiled, which was quickly interrupted from a short gasp from the older sister. 

"Oh, how could I have forgotten?" she exclaimed, shoving a few white packs into their faces. "Please take these with you." Ranma took them, studying the small mounds wrapped up in white foil paper. 

"We have medicine packs already…" he said, noticing the bright red cross on the front of them. Kasumi shook her head. 

"I know you say you can stock up at the next hospital, which is true," she whispered. "But there are still people out there who haven't been found. Lots of them. Who need medical help. You wouldn't want to run out." She smiled as best she could. The two boys smiled back. 

"Got it," Ryoga said, taking them from her hands and stuffing them down into his backpack. Then swinging it back over his shoulders, he motioned to Ranma. 

"Let's get going before a wuss like you changes your mind." Ranma glared at him, then turned back to the rest. 

"Arigatou, minna," he exclaimed, flashing a quick smile. 

"If the doctors pester us enough, should we just report you as "dead" to the answer why you're missing?" Nabiki asked, attempting an innocent look. 

"Hahaha, very funny." 

"Many have commented on my excellent sense of humor." She winked at them, then waved. 

"Well, if the two of you don't get going, my sister is never going to pay me back for that 2000 yen she owes me!" Ranma nodded. 

"Well then…Ja!" he waved quickly, then motioned to Ryoga. The two of them set off at a jog, quickly disappearing into the rising sun. 

"Do you think…they'll be alright?" Kasumi asked worriedly. 

"This matter concerns Akane-chan, right?" The doctor asked, looking down on her with a smile. She stared up, puzzled. 

"Well, yes, but what does that…" Nabiki smiled. 

"It means that they'll come back safe and sound, for sure." 

~~~~ 

The sun was blazing. As if burning with anger it had swept down, scorching the two figures who were running along a narrow path between heaps of garbage. He sighed, taking a glance over his shoulder to see whether the other boy was still keeping up the pace. He was, running along steadily, his head turned around to look at the huge mounds of rubbish. 

"Chikusho…" he whispered under his breath, turning his head back and pulling in front of the fanged boy. At this rate he would be left behind. Sure, he knew how to run and was in practically perfect shape, but Ryoga had traveled a lot more. And he wasn't about to let Ryoga of all people beat him this time. 

"Oi," he shouted over his shoulder. "Know what time it is?" There was a long silence, to which he sighed at. _What's wrong, the idiot can't even look at a watch?_

"Round one o'clock," he answered. The pig-tailed boy turned around and saw to his surprise that there was no watch in Ryoga's hand, but rather he was staring up at the sun. 

"Whacha trying to do, burn your eyes out?" Ryoga smiled, looking back with a challenging glare. 

"It's called reading the time," he answered matter-of-factly. Ranma grumbled to himself, turning back. Ryoga had had a lot more training in the field of travel. Of course, that was only due to his horrible sense of direction. But still. 

He groaned. He was thinking about it like a race again. Technically, he knew, he shouldn't think of it that way. What mattered was that Akane was safe, not who saved her. Not like that kawaiikune tomboy was going to have hundreds of men running from every corner to save her. Only two. 

Which meant less chance of her actually being found. Which meant no dropping Ryoga randomly in a ditch halfway there. 

"…getting hot." He pricked his ears up, catching the last of his 'companion's' sentence. 

"What's that pig-boy?" He called. "Too hot for you already?" Instantly he leaped into the air, sensing the approach of the other boy. 

"No, Ranma, just that if we stay out in this heat for very long, we'll be way too thirsty way too quickly. If that happens, first of all we won't be up early enough in the morning, and secondly we'll have no more water. Let's just rest a bit and continue when it gets cooler." Ranma groaned, whirling around to face the other boy. 

"Ryoga! Look, I kindly took you along with me and this is the thanks I get? Don't even think about slowing me down!" Ryoga growled, his fangs flashing in the sunlight. 

"Will you listen? If we don't stop now and get our bearings while it's hot, we'll collapse before dusk! You're injured remember? How much longer do you think you can go?" Ranma sidestepped, then stopped, his eyes facing towards the dirt. 

"You're…you're right," he mumbled. Ryoga smiled. 

"Aren't I always?" Ranma just grumbled and quickly hopped up onto a large protruding piece of metal that looked kind of like the hood of a car. Ryoga quickly followed suit. Ranma quickly extended his hand to the other boy, who looked at it with a puzzled glance. 

"What do you want, Ranma?" he asked, stretching back. "Scared already? Want me to hold you hand?" The pig-tailed boy glared at him angrily. 

"_No_," he shot back, "I want some food you dimwit!" Ryoga laughed. 

"You'll just sweat it out," he said simply. "No food until dinner." 

"What? Hey, look, I'm hungry!" He wasn't joking either. His stomach was rumbling like heck. Too bad Ryoga was too deep into his own thoughts to notice. 

"This is how all travelers do it," he said, rolling over. "Don't be a wimp." The words seemed to hit a sore spot. He grumbled and turned away, folding his hands across his chest. 

Why oh why did he let Nabiki talk him into this? Why did _Ryoga_ of all people have to be his travel partner? He sighed, pouting. Besides, most likely the second he found Akane she would just hit him over the head with whatever is closest. 

"Kawaiikune," he mumbled under his breath, shifting his weight as he rustled about on the metal. He wasn't going to think about that. 

As he shifted, he heard a weird noise. He listened again, and it came again, a strangled, whimpering sort of noise. He glanced over his shoulder at Ryoga, who was cuddled up on the other side of the hood. 

Feh, he thought to himself, he's been a pig so long he makes pig noises even when he's human. 

But when he listened carefully, it didn't sound like a pig at all. He quickly sat up and carefully shifted his hand along the hot metal. 

"R-Ryoga? I think someone's in this car…" 

~~~~ 

A gong was ringing, the sound mixing with the patter of the rain against the pavement. The sky was gray and hazy, huge clouds looming across it, blotting out the sun. 

The sound of footsteps, boots sloshing in the rain was heard. No one seemed to be talking, hiding out under huge black umbrellas and pulling their raven coats about them. 

Three girls were standing admist the crowd, huddling under a single umbrella that looked like it had been sploshed with black paint. All dressed in black, they seemed to huddle together. The tallest was holding on to the other two, a younger one who was staring out at the field of stones and the third, a blue-haired girl who was sobbing into her sisters chest. 

"Mommy…" 

~End Flashback~ 

_Who…what…how can I see that so clearly? Who exactly am I? What…what happened? O-Okaasan?_

The vision had been hazy, yet seemed so real. Was she going crazy? 

~~~~ 

"Kyaaa! What did you _do_?" 

"I just gave him the medicine, that's all. I didn't do anything, honest!" 

"…that's gross." 

"So the skin turned a bit…well…" 

"Is _blue_ the word you're looking for?" 

"Um…" 

"Perhaps bloody, gnarled, deformed…" 

"Okay, okay, you're right, it is gross." 

"This guy isn't going to be too happy when he wakes up, you know." 

That caught his attention. As if on an instant, the voices actually began to ring in his ears, and he realized that there were two people in front of him, speaking to him. 

"Why exactly am I not going to be happy when I wake up? Or should I not ask?" There was a loud slam as one of the girls dropped whatever she was holding. 

"S…Sir! You're…you're up! How nice…I…um…" He squinted, attempting to focus the greatly unfocused world. Where were his glasses when he needed them… 

"Sir, something appears to have gone wrong with…sir? Um, sir, that's a flowerpot…" He looked up quickly from the object he had just embraced, squinting as hard as possible and finally saw the transformation of the beautiful amazon warrior to a bunch of lilacs. He sighed. 

"Where am I?" He asked, attempting to reach around to find his glasses. 

"Eh? At the hospital junction 6," one of the girls answered. "You just went under some heart surgery. Don't you remember?" He squinted, thinking. Yes, he vaguely remembered something. Something with the earth…splitting…and a note… 

"Shampoo!" He exclaimed suddenly, realizing what the nagging voice in the back of his mind was telling him. Though he couldn't see them, he could tell the girls were staring at him. 

"Eto…would you like…um…Shampoo, sir?" One of them asked timidly. He shook his head. 

"No, no, I want to find Shampoo! What if she's hurt?" The two blurry figures in front of him seemed to exchange glances. 

"I'm sure your 'shampoo' is perfectly fine, sir," one answered hastily. He shook his head vigorously. 

"No, no, NO! Shampoo is human! HUMAN!" Of course, the doctor from the next room chose that exact moment to walk in on his inspection. The nurses whirled around, and there was a long period of silence. 

"Akimoto-san, Nimara-san, please get back to your duties," he said in a monotone voice. 

"We were checking the patients, Ginto-sensei," the one to the left exclaimed. "This man just woke up." 

"This is not what I would expect to see from two perfectly well-educated nurses," the man answered curtly. "Give him some more medicine. He is obviously having hallucinations." The girl looked up quickly. 

"But…But look what happened to his chest when we gave him the last dose! He might be allergic or something!" There was another long silence. He laid his head back down on the pillow, too embarrassed to try to make out the figures any more. 

"Akimoto-san," the man said slowly. "We run a smooth operation here. We do not have time for childish behavior. Is that understood?" 

"Y-Yes sir," she answered quietly. There was more shuffling, and then a long creak as the door closed. Then two long sighs escaped the room. 

"Sorry, Hikari-chan," the other nurse whispered. "He seemed awfully angry." "Gomen nasai, did I get the two of you in trouble?" He could hear one of them get closer, and recognized her voice to be that of the girl who had been yelled at. 

"No, it's not your fault," she whispered. "Your wounds are pretty grave, you must not be thinking straight. I'm on duty in this corridor, I'll get you some sort of anesthetic. What's your name, please?" 

"Muu Tsu," he answered. "Mousse." The girl seemed puzzled, but proceeded in wrapping off the bandage that was covering his chest. 

"Well…eh…Mousse-san, are you…eh…feeling alright?" He nodded, feeling his black hair being pulled away from his face in strands. 

"Yes, but for me to be able to see you clearly I will need new glasses," he answered. 

"Oh! I can try to find some…what prescription do you have?" 

"The highest possible would be nice." She didn't answer, just nodded and kept working. His mind, however, strolled elsewhere. What exactly had happened…to Shampoo…He felt her flinch, and suddenly an idea sprang to his mind. 

"Um…what exactly _did_ happen to me when I took the last dose of medicine?" 

"…" 

~~~~ 

"YA!!!" A girl stood in the midst of a huddled driveway, her breathing heavy as she wiped sweat away from her brow. She huffed loudly, sighing to herself. 

"That felt nice…" Her blue-black hair swished down past her shoulders. She seemed to be smiling as the sun filtered in through the trees. Another girl appeared behind her. 

"There you go again," she said curtly. "No wonder all the boys think you're weird." The girl in the karate gi turned around, eyeing the other girl. 

"Not everyone thinks the world revolves around _boys_," she answered simply. The brown-haired girl smiled and began to walk in the other direction. 

"Then I guess this wouldn't interest you…" After a long pause, the girl with the gi sighed and began to make her way towards the house. After a short pause, her voice echoed throughout the yard. 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, FIANCE?" 

~End Flashback~ 

_Why…why can't I ever see their faces? I know them, they must have been the same girls as were standing with the umbrella…but who _are_ they? Why do I remember them? Yet…that word seems kind of familiar… _

Fiance… 

A/N: Well, there ya go! I've already kind of sort of started writing Chapter 4, and I will really, really, REALLY try to get it out sooner than this one. Sorry all! Hope you liked it, tho. ^_~. 


End file.
